GERMANY/FRANCE: Behn buys Danzka vodka from Belvedere

German group Behn has acquired vodka brand Danzka from Belvedere for EUR19.4m (US$29.6m).

Family-owned Behn, which also owns Dooley's Original Toffee Liqueur as part of its spirits unit Waldemar Behn, confirmed the transaction earlier this week. The company took ownership of Danzka, a Danish vodka, on 1 April, it said in a statement.

The brand, founded in 1989, currently sells in around 50 markets, with a focus on sales in travel retail. Danzka is the fourth largest premium vodka brand in global duty-free, according to Behn.

“Danzka is going to be one of our main assets – even in the next, the fifth generation in our company," said Rudiger Behn, the Waldemar Behn Company's MD. "Danzka ensures our independency in the liquor industry and will boost our international business, especially in duty-free, heavily."